Understanding Uncertainty

What is it all about?

This site from the Winton Programme for the Public Understanding of Risk based in the statistical laboratory in the University of Cambridge aims to improve the way uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining! While this site is not an educational resource it provides up to date examples of how the media shock the public and scare them about the latest risk factors for developing a disease. The bloggers (regulars and guests) take stories from the media and explain to the reader how these numbers have been grossly misrepresented or in fact that statistics can be used to calculate the chance of x occurring. Most blogs are relatively short and easy to read and follow. The site encourages cynicism of the headlines that we read and how we can deal with our own uncertainty.

Audience & Time

This site is perfect for anyone who may be interested in statistics or is cynical of what they read and hear from the media. Frequently updated the articles are quick to read but leave you pondering about what you have read.

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Hi, I'm Lucy and am currently a medical student from the University of Liverpool, UK. I am currently intercalating in a Masters of Research in Clinical Science, before my final year of medicine, and hope to go on to an academic foundation year job after I graduate. View more posts from Lucy

This blog, written by Leonard Goh, was the winner of Cochrane Malaysia and Penang Medical College’s recent evidence-based medicine blog writing competition. Leonard has written an insightful and informative piece to answer the question: ‘Evidence-based health practice: a fairytale or reality’.